North American River Otter FAQs

The North American river otter is a semiaquatic mammal that lives in and around the rivers, estuaries, lakes and coasts of North America and is common in the Bay Area. River otters are members of the weasel family and are not closely related to sea otters.

Average size

11-31 pounds (5-14kg)

26-42 inches (66-107 cm) long

A river otter’s tail makes up almost half of its body length

Female otters, on average, are smaller than males

Lifespan

10-13 years in the wild

15-19 years in captivity

More terminology

A group of otters is called a romp, family or raft

Otter droppings or scat are called spraints

An otter den is called a holt

Geographic range
North America, from the Arctic circle to Mexico

Where in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed
Research is ongoing, but we know that more river otters live in the Delta and Suisun marshes. They are not as common in Napa marshes and in the Carquinez Strait.

Habitat
Near clean fresh water, from the mountains to the coast

Diet
River otters love fish. They also eat crabs, frogs, birds and rodents. As top predators in their ecosystems, river otters rely on a healthy food web.

Behavior

Family grouping is a female and her pups; males are more solitary

Often play by repeated touching, shoving and tobogganing down snow or mud slides

Superb swimmers, reaching speeds of 6-7 miles per hour in the water

River otters communicate with a variety of noises and smells

Notable adaptations

Dense fur for insulation—over 58,000 hairs/cm2 on body; over 2,000 hairs/cm2 on tail

Lungs for a life aquatic—right lung is about 20% larger than the left and has four lobes instead of the left’s two

River otters also have a thick mucus lining in their intestines to protect from sharp objects, e.g. fish spines

Reproduction

Mature by age 2 approximately

River otters breed November through May, dependent on latitude

Males mate with multiple females and utilize delayed implantation

Total gestation averages 10-12 months, producing litters of 2-3 pups generally born February through April

Conservation status
Stable. A century ago, river otter populations were in bad shape due to water pollution, habitat degradation and a bustling fur trade. Since then, the situation has improved. Hunting/trapping of river otters is not allowed in California. Regulations to improve water quality and estuarine habitat have allowed river otter populations around the country to recover. The return of river otters to the San Francisco Bay estuary reminds us of what is possible with ongoing commitments to a healthy watershed.